In Part I of The Power of Focus, I discussed the shift in what drives effective competitive differentiation in today’s economy; how better understanding your customers and their needs, and positioning your company as the best option for addressing those needs, are the keys to success in today’s evolving market.
As we continue discussion on this topic, our focus is now on the changes that must be made in the way you train and manage your business development reps. The all-too-common shotgun approach to training and managing typically leads to their failure. Hiring someone with “sales experience,” explaining the services you offer, and then turning them loose to “go sell” is a formula that rarely results in success for either the salesperson or the business. Successful marketing is based on understanding your customer’s business and forming partnerships that add value for them by helping them to retain their customers, achieve their objectives, and grow their business. Neglecting to develop a plan that identifies the specific markets you are targeting for growth, or to educate your business development reps on the strategies that will be most effective in differentiating you as the best choice for those prospects, is a recipe for mediocre performance at best. Market-focused training is critical.